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OverviewThis series of lessons was designed to meet the needs of gifted children for extension beyond the standard curriculum with the greatest ease of use for the edu-cator. The lessons may be given to the students for individual self-guided work, or they may be taught in a classroom or a home-school setting. This particular lesson plan is primarily effective in a classroom setting. Assessment strategies and rubrics are included. The lessons were developed by Lisa Van Gemert, M.Ed.T., the Mensa Foundation’s Gifted Children Specialist.

The Writer’s Toolbox:What You Need to Master the Craft

Introduction to an Essay (Pg. 2-4): This four-page handout guides students through the basics of the process of writing an essay. Using friendly language and down-to-earth examples, it provides a foundation for solid academic writing in virtually any genre.

Selecting a Topic (Pg. 5-7): This guide explains not only how to choose a topic for a par-ticular assignment, but also how to use life experiences to build a library of possible ideas to use in the future.

Creating an Outline (Pg. 8-9): Teachers know that a solid structure is crucial to writing clarity and effectiveness. Outlines often make the difference between an essay that rambles or inappropriately diverges versus one that meets its goal. This handout helps students learn the techniques of creating an outline, including an example.

Developing a Thesis Statement (Pg. 10-11): The thesis statement of any essay sets out its controlling purpose, and a strong thesis statement guides and influences writing in a way a weak one cannot. This handout explores how to create a strong thesis statement through examples of what not to do with accompanying revisions.

Guidelines for Revising a Rough Draft (Pg. 12-13): An ability to truly revise, not just make superficial changes, is as rare as it is necessary. This handout has two parts. In the first, writers are guided on how to approach their drafts with fresh eyes and really revise it. In the second, a peer editing exercise is shared that will allow teachers to have multiple students give feedback to the writer on various components of the essay prior to the revision.

Transition Words (Pg. 14-18): Moving smoothly from one idea or paragraph to another cre-ates clarity and ease of idea flow. This comprehensive handout shares literally hundreds of transitions writers can use within sentences, paragraphs and sections of papers. They are divided into easy-to-use sections and listed in alphabetical order within those sections.

The Writer’s Toolbox is a collec-

tion of resources for students and educators that will assist in the writing process. The toolbox consists of six components.


2 | Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: THE WRITER’S TOOLBOX

Every essay begins with an introduction. Keep the following points in mind:l The major function of the introduction is to at-

tract the reader’s attention and make the reader want to read more of your essay. l Keep these ideas in mind while writing your

introduction :t Topic (What is this essay about?)t Purpose (Why is this topic important?)t Audience (Who is your audience? Use the correct style for the reader.)t Form (How is the essay going to be set up?)

l Don’t be rude [“any idiot would be able to see that”] to your reader. l Use the present tense because the literary work

you’re writing about continues to exist. Say, “When Jimmy arrives at the store, he finds the clerk hiding behind the counter” – not, “When Jimmy got to the store, he found the clerk hiding behind the coun-ter.” The only exception is if you are talking about something that actually happened in the past [“When George Bush won the 2000 presidential election …”]l The introduction should go from broad to narrow

like an upside-down triangle.An oversimplification of the

broad to narrow idea is: animals, pets, types of pets, dogs, my dog Bruno.

Example: Many unpleasant parts of growing up seem unavoidable.

Pimples happen, voices crack and students worry all the time about their looks and their changing bodies. In time, the pimples disappear, the voices deepen and the worries recede. Unfortunately, one all-too-com-mon aspect of growing up, bullying, can have lasting negative results. Young people must avoid bullying in any of its forms – physical, verbal or social.

l Ideas for your opening sentence include:t quotationt opinion opposite t short narrative t interesting factt explanation of a term t paradoxt analogy

THESISThe last sentence of your introduction is your

thesis. It states the general subject of the essay. This is what your essay is about. A thesis asserts the main idea you will develop in your writing. It summarizes your ideas and suggests your point of view toward it. l A thesis sentence takes a position of some type;

it is never simply a fact. l It is an opinion that can be supported. l It must be a complete sentence. Only one!l Use strong words like analyze, interpret, com-

pare, contrast, cause and effect, etc.l Don’t hedge. Avoid using words like probably,

might, seems, apparently, maybe, etc.l Use an action verb in your thesis; avoid “be”

verbs.

Examples: In Romeo and Juliet, William

Shakepeare shows that a lack of com-munication between generations leads to tragedy.

A close study of William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury reveals many of the underlying causes of the Compson family’s deterioration.

Introduction to the Essay

This handout explains the basic components of a basic essay. After you are comfortable with the structure of this essay, you will find your own writing voice and expand upon what you’ve learned.

* action verb

* present tense


Mensa Foundation Lesson Plan: THE WRITER’S TOOLBOX | 3

BODY PARAGRAPHS:Your body paragraphs are the meat of your essay.

They flesh out the idea you put forward in your the-sis. They should be well-organized and clearly relate back to the thesis.

Each body paragraph will begin with a topic sen-tence.l A topic sentence echoes the subject of the thesis. l Avoid questions as topic sentences. l Use strong action verbs and avoid the passive

voice (make the subject the doer).

Examples:Early on, Twain jokingly writes

about the romantic views of the south.

Furthermore, Twain satirizes the superstitions of the southern people.

In addition, Twain ridicules the pretensions that southerners display toward religion.

Each body paragraph will have a topic sentence, as well as details from the story and your thoughts on those details. l After the topic sentence, give a concrete detail

from the story.l Then, give commentary on that detail. Commen-

tary does not have correct answers. It is your thought. Keep the commentary logical, though. This is not the time to tell the reader about your ideas about becom-ing supreme ruler of the universe (unless that is the topic of the essay).l Use the first person sparingly, even in the com-

mentary. No offense, but the essay isn’t as much about you as it is about the subject. You don’t have to say, “I think it’s hot in here.” You can say, “It is hot in here.” Same thing, but no “I”. l After the commentary, use a concluding sentence

to echo the topic sentence and show a result. Don’t introduce new material in the concluding sentence. Use a good concluding transition word to show the reader that it is the conclusion. Use your Transition Word handout for this.

Example of body paragraph:In Of Mice and Men, George Milton

looks out for Lennie’s welfare. For exam-ple, he tells Lennie not to say anything to Curley in the ranch house. This shows that he understands how easily Lennie gets into trouble without realizing it. This also shows that he wants to keep Lennie out of harm’s way by shielding him from con-tact with strangers. As a result, the reader understands George’s desperate attempt to protect Lennie at the conclusion of the novel.

The commentary sentences are underlined. Do you see how the concrete detail is something that actually happened in the story? You don’t have to say, “this shows”; it’s just here to demonstrate the commentary. The conclusion sentence is the last one. It ties it all together and explains why what the earlier sentences said was important. You do not have to use this pat-tern (with the exception of the topic and concluding sentences – those are required); it’s just one effective solution. The more writing you do, the less you will need to relay on a set structure.

CONCLUSIONThe essay’s conclusion leaves the reader feeling

that you have covered your topic thoroughly. Avoid these “killer phrases:”l And this is whyl I thinkl I knowl I believel In this essay I have shown thatl As this paper showsThe purpose of the conclusion is to remind the

reader of your excellent points you presented in the essay, to reinforce your ideas, and to reinvigorate your arguments, just in case the reader forgot how great they were. Don’t start throwing in a bunch of stuff you wish you’d said. Save it for another essay. This one’s done.

The form of the conclusion is important. Just as the

* transi-tion word or phrase

* topic sentence** concrete detail



introduction was an upside-down triangle, the conclusion is a tri-angle, too. This time, it’s right-side up. You will begin with a restate-ment of your thesis. What does that mean? It means you will remind

your reader what your thesis was in slightly different words.

After you re-write your thesis, now you have to write the body of this paragraph. It’s so easy! You just remind the reader of your previous points. Men-tally put the phrase “remember how” before each body sentence.

For example, let’s say you are writing an essay about the character of Romeo in “Romeo and Ju-liet” and you have one paragraph on how immature Romeo is. In your conclusion you would mentally think, “Remember how,” and then you would write, “Romeo reveals his immaturity when he sees no other way to deal with Juliet’s death than by taking his own life.” Now repeat this for every major idea in your essay.

At the end of the introduction, think to yourself, “If you remember all those things, then you will know that…” and then write what conclusion the reader should be able to draw from the ideas you discussed in your essay.

For example, let’s go back to our Romeo idea. Let’s say your essay talked about Romeo’s character and you have reminded the reader about all of the points you brought out in your body paragraphs. Now, you think to yourself, “If you remember all of this, you will know that” and then you write some-thing like, “The actions and attitudes of a single char-acter can transform the lives of those around him.”

This is a broad statement. It deals with broader issues that just those related to this particular essay. It’s what we call a “universal truth.” Think about it. How many of you know people whose actions have seriously impacted people around him or her? We all do. This is why it’s a universal truth. To write one for your essay, you have to think about how what you wrote about applies to the world beyond your essay.

FINAL NOTEThis may seem intimidating. You may be thinking

that you can’t do this. You may be thinking that you don’t understand it. Writing is learned by doing it.

You can’t learn to ride a bike by reading about how to do it in a book, and you can’t learn to write by complaining about how you don’t like it.

Pick up your pen and follow the directions. You can do it! Step by step, line by line, it will come to you. You will soon be writing better than you ever thought you could. You may even enjoy it!



Selecting a TopicA Swiss man, looking for directions, pulls

up at a bus stop where two Americans are waiting.

“Entschuldigung, koennen Sie Deutsch sprechen?” he asks.

The two Americans just stare at him.“Excusez-moi, parlez vous Francais?” he

tries. The two continue to stare.“Pariare Italiano?” No response.“Hablan ustedes Espanol?” Still nothing.The Swiss guy drives off, extremely dis-

gusted. The first American turns to the second

and say, “Y’know, maybe we should learn a foreign language.”

“Why?” says the other. “That guy knew four languages, and it didn’t do him any good.”

In this joke, it didn’t matter how smart the Swiss guy was, or how many ways he could say what he

was saying. What mattered was that he didn’t know where he was going. In an essay, not knowing where you are going is like being the guy in this joke. It doesn’t matter how smart you are: if you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t get there.

Your teacher may give you a topic, but sometimes you will have to select one. Some-times you may need to further narrow or even expand the assigned topic. If you have to come up with your own topic, here is how you find and decide on a topic, how to narrow a topic, and how to keep your eyes open for topics in general.

One key idea is that must have something to say about the topic that is not simply repeating what everyone has said before. On a scale of 1 to 10, you should care about the topic at least a six or you will not have the cognitive energy to sustain the essay.

GUIDELINES FOR SELECTING A TOPIC1. Brainstorming possibilities: If you need a topic

to write about, you should simply begin listing as many potential topics as possible without taking the time to decide whether each one is good for your assignment or not. You simply want to get a list of as many topics as you can in the time that you have. No judging allowed! Just list.

2. Sentence completion: Complete as many of the sentences below as make sense in the context of your assignment in as many ways as you can. Try to word your sentence beginnings so that they lead you to a topic you can use for your writing.l I wonder how. . .l I hope our school . . .l Our grading system . . .l I hate how…

l One place I enjoy . . .l Too many people . . . l If my parents . . . l The good thing about. . .l The government should . . . You can think of your own sentence

beginnings to get your “topic brain-waves” flowing.

3. Be alert for “found” topics: These are topics which you find unexpectedly as you are shopping, walking, driving, eating lunch at McDonald’s or hang-

ing out with friends, or even listening to the lyrics of your favorite song. You might come across an unusual event, person, place, or conversation.

4. Experience: Experience as many different aspects of your community as you can. Visit muse-ums, churches, parks, libraries, businesses, factories, schools, colleges. As you expand the scope of your world, you will naturally build a supply of ideas. Write in a journal on a regular basis, entering your personal feelings, opinions, and observations of your daily experience. All of your experiences are fair



game for future writing.5. Observe: Watch and listen carefully to ev-

erything and everyone when you are looking for a topic. Think about possible topics as you read. Talk to people (friends, parents, grandparents, neighbors, workers) about their ideas and experiences. People who are interested are interesting.

6. Read magazines and newspapers: The table of contents of your favorite magazine could help you discover an idea for a topic. A newspaper could give you a current event or interest topic.

IDEAS FOR LITERARY ANALYSISIf you are asked to write about literature, the ideas

listed below will help you choose a specific focus for your analysis.

Theme: You can write about one of the themes presented in your selection.l Does the author seem to be saying something

about ambition, courage, greed, jealousy, happiness or some other universal emotion?l Does the selection show you what it is like to ex-

perience racism or loneliness or some other universal experience?l Does the author say something about a specific

time and place in history?

Characterization and plots: You can explore as-pects of character and plot development.l What motives drive a character’s course of action?l What are the most revealing aspects of one of the

characters? (Consider his or her thoughts, words, and actions.)l What external conflicts affect the main charac-

ter? (Consider conflicts with other characters, the setting, or objects.)l What internal conflicts make life difficult for the

main character? (Consider the thoughts, feelings, and ideas that affect him or her.)l How is suspense built

into the story? (Consider the important events leading up to the climax.)l Are there any twists or

reversals in the plot? (What do they add to the story?)l Does the text exhibit traits

of a quest, a comedy, a trage-dy, or an ironic twist on one of these patterns of development?

Setting: You may want to analyze the role of the setting in the story.l What effect does the set-

ting have on the characters? The plot? The theme?l Has the setting increased

your knowledge of a specific time and place?l Is the setting new and thought provoking?

Style: You can give special attention to the author’s style of writing.l What feeling or tone is created in the selection?

How is it created?l Is there an important symbol that adds meaning

to the selection? (How is this symbol represented in different parts?)l Has special attention been given to figures of

speech like metaphors, similes, and personification? (What do these devices add to the writing?)

SOURCE WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Your classes Listen for issues, controversies, and new ideas that might be worth exploring.

Daily activities Take note of memorable or meaningful incidents at school, at work, at home, at athletic or social events.

Newspapers Flip through recent issues; look for articles that might & magazines lead to topics. Radio & TV Listen to your favorite radio station for a song/songs or look for ideas in TV programs and commercials.

The world Look within and outside your household; notice people,around you places, objects, interactions.



Author: You can focus on the life and times of the author.l How does the text reflect aspects of the author’s

experience or beliefs?l How does this text compare to other works by

the author?l How does the literary work represent the au-

thor’s particular time, place, and/or culture?

HOW TO KNOW YOU HAVEA WORTHWHILE TOPICOnce you’ve selected a topic, make sure you can agree with the following statements about your topic. If not, go back and work on it some more.l I have something unique to say about this topic.l I care about this topic to at least a level six on a scale of one to ten.l I can find enough to write about this topic for the length required for this assignment.l Plentiful, reputable sources of information exist about this topic.



Goal: Find a sensible method of arranging your evidence in the form of an outline

What is it? An outline is an abbreviated picture of the parts of your paper or project and the order in which they will come. You can think of it as a “road map” of your journey toward making a final product. A thorough outline will make writing the first draft much more simple.

Why do it? It helps you to... l stay on course and not get off-track when you

put your final product together.l see if you have enough (or too much) material to

support your Thesis Statement.l figure out the order in which your subtopics will

appear in your final product.

How to do it: Take all of your research and ideas and separate it into subtopics. Figure out the most logical flow of information, the best order for the information to be in, using the subtopics you have created. Think about the different possible orders in which you could present each group of ideas.

Should the ideas in pile one be presented first, or those in pile three? Why? Look for relationships between the ideas and information in each subtopic, as well as between subtopics.

Put your subtopics, with the key points that support them, in words or short phrases, into draft outline form that shows how they will flow from beginning to end.

Draft outline form is a formal outline used as a basis for your rough draft. It can be in either sentence or topic (words, phrases, or clauses) form. Note that your outline:l Begins with a

statement of controlling purpose (thesis).

l Is divided into two or more major sections intro-duced by Roman numerals (I, II). Each major section is divided into two or more subsections introduced by capital letters (A, B). The subsections may be divided into sub-subsections introduced by Arabic numerals (1, 2), and those into sub-sub-subsections introduced by lowercase letters (a, b).l If you have an “A,” you must have a “B.” If

you have a “1,” you must have a “2.” If you have an idea just dangling by itself, fit it in somewhere else or flesh it out more.

Creating an Outline

POSSIBLE ORDERS:l Chronological – from first to last or last to firstl Classification – grouping on the basis of similar properties or characteristicsl Order of degree – order of importance, value, interest, obviousness, certainty, etc.l Cause and effect – from cause to effect or effect to causel Comparison and contrast – similarities followed by differences or differences followed by similaritiesl Inductive order or synthesis – presentation of specific examples followed by generalization from those examplesl Deductive order – presentation of a general idea or principle followed by specific conclusions drawn from that general idea or principle



EXAMPLE: THE POLITICAL MESSAGE OF JOHN STEINBECK’S THE GRAPES OF WRATH

Thesis: Steinbeck’s novel expresses a strong political message warning that exploitation of migrant workers would cause them to rise up as a group against their oppressors, the state and the wealthy landowners.

I. The historical background of the migrant situationA. The Dust Bowl of the 1930sB. The migration to CaliforniaC. The nature of California AgricultureD. The living conditions among the migrants

II. Steinbeck’s opinions about the migrant situationA. Steinbeck’s publication of Their Blood is StrongB. Steinbeck’s descriptions of the migrants’ lives

1. travela. truckb. desperate nature

2. povertyC. Steinbeck’s warning about the consequences of exploitation

III. Steinbeck’s message about the migrant situation in The Grapes of Wrath A. The Joads as self-absorbed, passive victimsB. The Joads as active agents of changeC. The conclusion of the novel as a warningD. The title of novel as a parallel between the migrant system and Babylon

Resources: McDougal Littell Writing Research Papers http://bit.ly/crlsresearch



Developing a Thesis Statement1. Make an assertion about your narrowed topic.

Lacks assertion: My Uncle George was falsely arrested for shoplifting.Revised: My Uncle George’s false arrest for shoplifting taught me a valuable lesson about selecting friends.

Lacks assertion: Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury tells of problems in the Compson family.Revised: A close study of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury reveals many of the underlying causes of the Compson family’s deterioration.

The first thesis states a fact; the revised thesis develops an idea about the fact.

2. Be specific and provide enough detail. Too general: I learned a great deal from being a teenage parent.Revised: From my experiences as a teenage parent, I learned to accept responsibility for my own life and for my son.

Too general: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy.Revised: In Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare shows that a lack of communication between genera-tions leads to tragedy.

The first thesis is too general because it does not suggest what the writer learned.

3. Focus on one central point if you are writing a paragraph. Focuses on several points: This college lacks in the areas of tutoring, activities for Latino students, and the speed of registration. Revised: To better represent the student population it serves, this college should sponsor more activities of interest to Latino students.

Focuses on several points: Wetherell’s The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant tells about the narrator, Sheila Mont, their first date and the narrator’s love of fishing.Revised: Wetherell’s The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant explores the loss of innocence experienced by the narrator who both benefits and suffers from his loss.

The first thesis makes three separate points (the need for tutoring, activities for Latino students, and faster registration), each of which could become the main point of a short essay by itself.



4. Offer an original perspective on your narrowed topic. Too ordinary: Many traffic accidents are a result of carelessness.Revised: When a driver has an accident, it can change his or her entire approach to driving forever.

Too ordinary: In Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy? the characters are afraid of the war.Revised: In Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy? fear affects the characters’ reactions to the experi-ences of war.

The first thesis makes an assertion that few would dispute. If no one would disagree with you, it’s not worth writing about.

5. Avoid announcing your main point. Do NOT use phrases such as “This essay will be about ... ” or “I’m going to tell you ... ” or “The subject of my paper is ... ” Instead, state your main point directly.

Announces the main point: The point I am trying to make is that people should not be allowed to smoke on campus.Revised: The college should prohibit smoking on campus. Announces the main point: I am going to tell you the similarities and differences, such as goals, work habits, and personality, about Finny and Gene.Revised: While Gene and Finny are similar, the two characters have different goals, work habits, and personality.

6. Use your thesis to preview the organization of the essay. Consider using your thesis to mention the two or three key concepts on which your essay will focus, in the order in which you will discuss them.

Original: Access to the Internet will have positive effects on high school students. Revised: Access to the Internet will improve the research abilities and communication skills of high school students.

Original: Antigone stands up for what is right.Revised: The main character, Antigone, shows courage when she disobeys the King, disregards the sol-dier’s actions, and is willing to die for her beliefs.

7. Do not hesitate to revise or change your thesis. As you work on your essay, you may realize that your thesis is still too broad, or you may discover a more interesting approach to your narrowed topic.



1. Once you have completed your draft, set it aside overnight or a day if possible before you begin revis-ing. You didn’t marry it – it was just a first date.

A. Read your paper out loud to see how it sounds. Your writing should be clear and natural. If it isn’t, simplify it—say exactly what you want to say as clearly as you can.

B. Ask a friend to read your paper aloud to you. Listen for clues that tell whether your draft flows logically and whether it makes sense to your reader. When your reader hesitates, slows down, misreads, or sounds confused, it is a signal to you that your writ-ing is not as clear as it should be.

2. Check your sentences. l Does each sentence express a complete thought

(no fragments)?l Is each sentence clear and colorful?l Is each sentence punctuated as a complete sen-

tence (no run-ons)?

3. Have you used a combination of sentence lengths and types?l Are all of your sentences simple sentences? Use

simple, compound, and complex.l Is any sentence exceptionally long? If so, it must

be a strong sentence or you should consider breaking into two or more sentences.

4. Check your sentence beginnings.l Do not start sentence after sentence with the

same word (I ..., He ..., It ...) unless this is part of your strategy.

5. Make sure that your writing is to the point.l Take out any words, phrases or ideas which are

repeated or which pad rather than add to your writ-ing. We call this advice “write tight.”

6. Replace any words or phrases that are too gen-eral or overused.l Use nouns that are specific.l Use adjectives and adverbs that are fresh and

colorful.l Use active verbs as much as possible; they are

lively and vivid.l Avoid overusing the “to be” verbs (am, is, are,

was, were, be, being, been).

7. Replace any words or phrases which may con-fuse the reader.l Check for agreement of subject and verb.l Check word choice. Is there a word that you can

use that more clearly states your point?

8. Improve the style and clarity of your writing by using simile, metaphor, personification, or other liter-ary devices wherever appropriate.

9. Define any terms that your reader may not un-

derstand, keeping your audience in mind.

Guidelines for Revising a Rough Draft



10. Replace or take out any supporting facts and details which do not prove the point you are trying to make.l Add clarifying sentences which add details to

make the topic clearer and completing sentences which add details and examples that are more specific than clarifying sentences.l Ask when, where, why, how, to what extent

about each of your ideas.l In narrative essays, use details from personal

experiences (your own or examples from the world or literature) whenever possible.

11. Study each of your paragraphs.l Does each paragraph have a clear purpose and

focus (topic sentence)?l Is each major idea developed and supported?l Are the details arranged in a logical order?l Have you used transitions within and between

paragraphs so that your writing moves smoothly from start to finish?

12. Does your writing accomplish what you set out to accomplish?

13. Did you follow all rules for spelling, capitaliza-tion, punctuation and usage?

l Did you use the correct format (heading, title, indent, margins)?



Transition Words

afterafterwardagainalso andand then another besides equally importantfinallyfirst, second, etc. following this for one thing fully furtherfurthermore in addition in fact

indeed lastlastly likewise more than moreover nextnow one of secondly subsequently thereforethus too totally what’s more with

admittedly after all against almostalthough although this may be truealthough it is true that and yetat the same time barely but different fromeither…or even though granted hardlyhowever I concede that in contrast to individuallyinstead

instead of it is true justless than naturally nevertheless notnotwithstanding of course on the contrary on the other handor other than other neither…norpractically separately still to be surewith the exception yet

Transitions perform two functions: they are bridges from one idea to another, and they are signals to the reader that you are moving somewhere. The goal of any transition is to assist the reader, so use them to

provide clarity, not just to add words. Below you will find transition words divided by function.

SHOW ADDITION SHOW SUBTRACTION



along the same lines also analogous to asas compared with as well as balanced against bothby comparison comparable comparatively compared toconsistent with corresponding (to) equal equally importantidentical in a similar fashion in like manner in the same manner

in the same way like likewise matchingof little difference parallel to regarding relative toresemble resembling same shortestsimilarity similarly so such…assynonymous to the extent that too yet

a clear difference a contradistinction a disparity a (strong) distinctionagainst although an inconsistency an opposing viewand yet another distinction apart from at odds withat variance with balanced against but clearly opposedcontrary to contrariety conversely counter todespite despite the fact that different from differentlydiverging

even though however incompatible within contrast in disagreement with in opposition to neverthelessnonetheless on the contrary on the other hand opposed to this ideaopposing otherwise strikingly opposed the antithesis ofthe inverse of the reverse of to counter to differto differentiate to oppose up against whereaswhile yet

SHOW COMPARISON SHOW CONTRAST



another reasonbecause for this purpose in order thatin response to

keeping in mind so that to this endwhy, or for what reason with this object in mind

SHOW PURPOSE

a number of accordingly as a consequence as a resultbecause of because of this by reason of caused bycompletely consequently due in part due tofor this purpose hence in effect in partin view of

it follows that on account of owing topartially satisfactorily so that subsequentlythe end result the outcome the ramifications of thenthereafter thereby therefore thereuponthus to this end

SHOW EFFECT OR RESULT

as unlikely as it seems at the same time circumstantially coincidentallyduring equally important fortuitously in the meantime

in the same period incidentally ironically meanwhileseemingly unrelated simultaneously unintentionally

SHOW COINCIDENCE

adjacent to at/in the beginning at/in the end behindbeyond contiguous to finally herein relation to nearby

neighboring on the opposite side opposite to over postpre there under what/where at first

SHOW PLACE

an illustration of this average for example for instancefor the following

reasons for then

how in this waynamely particularly specifically statistically incidentally

SHOW EXAMPLE



after after a long time after a (short/long) while after all afterward annually as long as as often asas soon as at length at present at the same timeat this moment before by now concurrentlycurrently daily during earliererratically former(ly) from… to henceforthhereafter heretofore hourly immediatelyin retrospect in the meantime in the past in the same periodinfrequently

initially later (on) meanwhilemonthly never next not long afternot long ago now of late pastpreceding presently previously prior torecently right after right away seldomsimultaneously since sometimes soonsoon after subsequently then thereaftertoday until now (very) early weeklywhen while yesterday

SHOW TIME

accordingly after all all in all approximatelyas a result (of ) as has been noted as shown assumedconsequently definitely disregarding for this reasonhence in any event in brief in closingin conclusion in general in retrospect in shortin summary

in summation it follows then on the wholeperhapsrather than regarding soso that substantially summing up supposedlytentatively then therefore the hypothesis wasto conclude to recap to sum upto summarize to wrap up

SHOW SUMMARY OR CONCLUSION

a percentage of all alternatively alwaysany commonly constantly eachevery few fewer frequentlymany more most

never occasionally often one of twoonly quite rarely relatively fewseveral some sometimes throughoutunusually usually

SHOW FREQUENCY



above all according to actually after allagain as a matter of fact as much as possible as previously notedcertainly decidedly definitely equally importantespecially essentially extremely furthermoreideally in addition to in any event in factin other words in reality indeed more importantmoreover

most of all must officiallyof great concern of major concern primarily primaryrealistically significantly surely technicallythe crux of the matter the heart of the issue the main issue the main problemthe major reason theoretically there is no question thatto be sureto emphasize undoubtedly very (un)likely without a doubt/

question

SHOW EMPHASIS OR REPETITION

admittedly although it is true that although as ifas though conceded even if granted thatgranted I concede that if only in case that

in the event that it is true that (although) it may appear

that naturallyof course only if perhapspossiblyprovided that the possibility exists that to be sure

SHOW CONCESSION, EXCEPTION, RESERVATION, RESTRICTION OR UNCERTAINTY

a case in point after all an analogy analogous toanother way as an example as an illustration certainlyconsider for example for instance for one thingin another case in another instance indeed in factin one example in order to clarify in other words in particularin similar manner in the following manner in the same manner in this casein this example

in this situation in this specific instance more exactlynamely obviously of course on this occasionput another way simply stated specifically such assuppose that take into consideration take the case of that isto be exact to bring to light to clarify to demonstrateto illuminate to illustrate to put another way to showto take a case in point

GIVING AN EXAMPLE OR EXPLANATION

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